CLEARINGHOUSE SERVER FOR INTERNET TELEPHONY AND MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
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Abstract
A clearinghouse server for routing multi-media communications, including telephony calls, between a source device and a destination device via a distributed computer network, such as the global Internet. The clearinghouse server can authorize the completion of a communication from a source device to a destination device and collect usage-related information for the completed communication. In response to an authorization request issued by an enrolled source device, the clearinghouse server can identify one or more available destination devices available to accept a communication from an authorized source device. The clearinghouse server can provide a list of the identified destination devices, typically organized in a rank order, by sending an authorization response to the source device. In turn, the source device can use this list to select a destination device and contact that selected device via the computer network to complete the communication.
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Citations
60 Claims
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1-40. -40. (canceled)
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41. A method for authorizing and routing a communication with a clearinghouse server between a source device and a destination device, comprising the steps of:
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receiving an authorization request from a source device; determining a communication route for completing a communication originating at the source device; identifying one or more destination devices available to complete the communication; balancing use of the one or more destination devices with the clearinghouse server by ranking the one or more destination devices with weighted values which are assigned to each destination device; generating a list comprising the ranked destination devices; forwarding the list to the source device; and receiving a selection of a destination device from the list. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A system for authorizing and routing a communication with a clearinghouse server between a source device and a destination device, comprising:
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means for receiving an authorization request from a source device; means for determining a communication route for completing a communication originating at the source device; means for identifying one or more destination devices available to complete the communication; means for balancing use of the one or more destination devices by ranking the one or more destination devices with weighted values which are assigned to each destination device; means for generating a list comprising the ranked destination devices; means for forwarding the list to the source device; and means for receiving a selection of a destination device from the list. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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Specification